Comets fly into first

JONESVILLE — With a chance to take control of the Big Eight Conference title race, the Jonesville High School wrestling team responded in a big way.

Starting fast and finishing strong, the Comets made a big statement Wednesday with a convincing 55-24 victory over the Homer Trojans in a Big Eight dual.

Jonesville entered the day 3-1 in the conference, while Homer came in 4-0 in the league. With the victory, the Comets moved into the first-place tie and holds the tiebreaker with the Trojans. With the dual tied 18-18, Jonesville won the next seven matches to pull away.

"This is a huge win, and we had some freshmen come through for us big," Jonesville coach Mickey Rowe said. "I was telling the kids all week that it could come down to one match. The kids are gelling and starting to believe, and to come out and win like this reinforces that."

After the teams exchanged voids in the first two matches, Jonesville took an early lead with two pins. Freshman Jacob Stiles (119) pinned Garrett Warner in 4:49, then Carter Ballinger (125) caught Homer's Matt Banks for a pin at the 3:22 mark, giving the Comets an 18-6 lead.

The Trojans received a void in the next match, then Shawn Hoaglin (135) pulled Homer into an 18-18 tie after he pinned David Fairbanks in 3:04.

Jonesville regained the lead with a void at 140 pounds, then Joe Rodriguez outlasted Homer's Wyatt Stout for a 2-0 decision in the 145-pound bout. Two matches later, freshman Dylan Fairbanks (160) recorded a pin against Dakota Waring in 5:29, giving the Comets a 39-18 lead.

"Our motto has been 'be better tomorrow' and the kids are believing in that," Rowe said.

Sebastian Cousins clinched the dual for Jonesville in the 171-pound match. A big third period sent Cousins to a 10-0 major decision over John Bangert, putting the Comets up 43-18.

"This was Sebastian's first match down at that weight," Rowe said. "He had been up at 189, but was our third best guy at that weight. He could be a starter at 171, and he's lost 30 pounds since the start of the year. His win tonight was huge."

Jonesville's Michael Sharp (189) pinned Brandon Tackett in 2:38, then Jon Rodriguez (215) pinned James Blair in 3:07, making it 55-18. Homer's Tyler Prater closed out the night by defeating William Corbin with 0.6 seconds remaining in the heavyweight match.

"Homer has some good kids up top, and I think Jon's big win at 215 kind of sent a message," Rowe said.

Jonesville will turn its attention to Saturday's Super 16 Individual Tournament at Hudson.